Discrimination Between Substitution and Rotation of Visual Geometric Forms in a RSVP Protocol.

• Grant number: 24/15447-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Physiological Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Fernandes da Costa
• Grantee: Raul Pulino Marini de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/00191-0 - Mechanisms, genetics and performance of the visual system: clinical research in humans and animal experiments, AP.TEM

Abstract

The function of attentional mechanisms would be, in the first instance, to select and modulate the input and processing of perceptual and cognitive stimuli, to avoid energy expenditure on irrelevant stimuli and maintaining priority on those relevant to behavior. To measure attention levels of participants in the present study, we will use Rapid Serial Vision Presentation (RSVP) as a tool that consists of a high-speed presentation of visual stimuli in a sequential manner in which all stimuli are presented in the same spatial location. Participants in this study will be 30 adult volunteers from the university environment. Everyone must have normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity, absence of ophthalmological, neurological and psychiatric diseases known as the control group. Duly diagnosed attentional disorders will be included as an experimental group. The stimuli will consist of a static image with a white background and 4 black symbols at 100% contrast. 5 different symbols will be used: square, ellipse, triangle, cross and arrow. All stimuli will have 4 symbols arranged linearly horizontally. The distracting stimuli will be formed by 4 identical symbols, without spatial rotation. The pseudo-target stimuli will be formed by 4 identical symbols, where one of the central symbols (position 2 or 3 in the linear arrangement, chosen randomly by the program) will be spatially rotated. The stimulus presentation protocol will be Rapid Serial Vision Presentation (RSVP). The stimulus flow will have a total duration of 120 seconds with a stimulus duration of 600 ms and a target or pseudo-target/distractor ratio of 1:9, totaling 10 target stimuli and 10 pseudo-target stimuli. The accuracy rate of discrimination between targets and pseudo-targets will be evaluated and used to create an average parameter for the studied population. The probability of a random hit will be considered 50%.